Right from the start, Apple Music offered a three-month trial to new users to try and get them to subscribe. In some cases, this even extended all the way up to a six-month free trial before users would have to pay a dime.
Apple may be shifting away from this strategy, though. A new banner ad on Apple’s website mentions a one-month tryout period for the streaming music service.
Updated Sept. 10: Apple has taken the wraps off the 2019 iPhone models. As hoped, the replacement for the iPhone XR costs $50 less. However, the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are priced the same as last year’s models.
There are solid reasons to be optimistic that Apple will actually drop the price of the flagship 2019 iPhone models. Recent moves by the company signal a willingness to lower the cost of its other computers, and information leaking out about the replacement for the iPhone XS series indicates that it will be cheaper to make.
Most importantly, the company needs to respond to the plethora of evidence that it charges more than most people are willing to pay for even high-end handsets.
June 30, 2011: A little more than a year after the iPad goes on sale, the number of iPad-exclusive apps in the App Store passes 100,000.
The milestone caps a brilliant first year for Apple’s long-awaited tablet. And the amazing breadth of iPad-only apps proves the device is much more than just a bigger iPhone.
During the WWDC 2019 keynote, most of Apple’s latest creations drew enthusiastic applause, with one notable exception. The price of Apple’s new Pro Display XDR elicited a somewhat cooler response. But considering just how expensive the monitor is, the fact that it got any applause at all was pretty remarkable.
This is not the first time Apple has had to convince us to pony up for an eye-watering sticker price. Cupertino pulls from a well-established playbook for its keynotes, often employing behavioral science techniques to help soften the blow. (To our brains at least, if not to our wallets).
Apple’s business in China is finally turning around, according to execs who say Cupertino’s troubles in the country might be a thing of the past.
“We feel positive about our trajectory,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said during Tuesday’s earnings call, noting that the company’s “year-over-year revenue performance in Greater China improved relative to the December quarter.”
Then Cook laid out four reasons why Apple’s “China problem” is going away.
If Apple spun off its Services division as its own company, the business would be worth between $400 billion and $450 billion, according to a new analyst report.
To put that number in perspective, it’s more than twice the value of Netflix — and only $100 billion less than Facebook.
Publishers airing their gripes anonymously suggest that the early days of Apple News+ haven’t exactly been smooth sailing.
Complaints include teething problems with article formatting and design, as well as broader worries that Cupertino favors large publishers over smaller ones.
Foxconn is reportedly “within weeks” of starting trial production of the iPhone XS in India, Bloomberg reports.
Manufacturing will take place at a Foxconn factory in the southern city of Chennai. Rival manufacturer Wistron already makes the iPhone 6s, iPhone SE and — now — the iPhone 7 at its own facility in Bangalore.
Apple put a ton of pressure on The New York Times and Washington Post to join Apple News+ before the new service was unveiled at a media event last week.
Details have surfaced of Apple’s negotiations with the two major publishers, revealing Apple media boss Eddy Cue was adamant about getting the two papers on board. Both companies declined Apple’s offer, but the New York Times’ COO hinted that the newspaper of record could possibly join the service in the future.
So. Many. New. Products. Who would have guessed Apple would roll out multiple hardware upgrades in the week prior to a big media event? Here’s why that was a total genius move!
Read all about the new iPads, iMacs and AirPods in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS. Plus, you’ll find our latest how-tos and products reviews to help make your tech life easier.
Grab the mag now. Or go old-school and get all the posts in the links below.
The Wall Street Journal has reportedly agreed to participate in Apple’s paid news subscription service. Apple should offer details on the new service during the “It’s show time” media event.
News of the WSJ’s participation comes shortly after reports that The New York Times and Washington Post both opted out.
As thrilling as new Apple devices are, this week’s surprise hardware updates really screwed the pooch on one important front: product naming.
The “new” iPad Air and iPad mini join a lineup of tablets with a variety of features and price points that will boggle the minds of even the most ardent Apple fanatics.
How did Apple’s naming strategy go so far off the rails? For the sake of the average customer, Cupertino’s once-brilliant branding needs to kick into gear. Because right now, the toxic hellstew of Apple product names is utterly confusing.
iPhone sales are down, especially in emerging markets. The reason is simple: Apple’s devices cost too darn much. And the solution is equally simple: Apple must make a new budget model. In short, it needs a successor to the iPhone SE to ensure short-term profits as well as long-term viability.
This device has to have a low, low price. Even if that means a phone so bare-bones that most Americans turn up their noses at it.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is very upbeat about where his company is going. He told investors today that upcoming Apple products will “blow you away.”
Cook also indicated that Apple’s magic pipeline isn’t just brining more of the same. Cupertino is branching out.
Apple COO Jeff Williams says the company is “very aware” of concerns over the rising cost of the iPhone and Mac computers.
Williams, who delivered a brief speech at Elon University in North Carolina on Friday, also disputes analysts’ estimates of component costs for Apple’s products. (Results of a recent teardown suggested a 256GB iPhone XS Max can be manufactured for just $443.)
Apple built its world-dominating status by being brave. Not only did it create hit products, but it never worried about “cannibalizing” existing products to make way for the future.
Will that same strategy hold true at a time when Apple’s dominance is faltering? If the company is going to thrive through the next wave of tech, it’s going to take a whole lot of Dutch Cupertino courage.
Jefferies analyst Tim O’Shea foresees big challenges ahead for Apple’s planned video subscription service.
In a note to clients, O’Shea suggests that Apple will struggle to get studios and networks on board for its plans. He also thinks Apple’s original content may run into problems compared to Netflix’s most established offerings.
Apple has added a shortcut to the latest versions of iOS 12 to make managing app subscriptions easier. Previously, you had to dig deep into your Apple ID settings to find the control panel for your subs. Now, it’s just a couple of taps away. On the surface, this looks like a simple tweak to make things easier for the user, but it’s more than that.
By making subscriptions easier for the user to cancel, it’s also making it more likely that people will sign up for them in the first place. That’s good for users, for developers, and for quality apps in general.
Apple is reportedly having no problem signing up publishers for its proposed 50-50 revenue split deal for its news subscription service.
Despite the massive cut Apple is demanding, a new report claims that it has “already signed many publishers to deals.” These companies are banking on Apple being able to pull off an iTunes-style rescue of the news business. As such, they believe they’ll get a smaller piece of a big business, rather than a big piece of a small one.
Unlike some companies, Apple doesn’t want to sucker you into subscriptions by making it really hard to cancel them.
In fact, the latest iOS update makes it easier than ever to manage your recurring app subscriptions. Here’s how to dive in and take control of your iOS subscriptions.
When Apple unveils its earnings report for last year’s crucial holiday quarter, the entire world will be watching for signs of the company’s long-rumored impending doom.
Several factors will make Tuesday’s Q1 2019 earnings call Apple’s most important in years. Depending on how it goes, it could have an enormous impact on the company’s stock’s performance in 2019 and beyond.
How can Apple’s streaming video service battle established competitors like Netflix? Simple: Buy a movie studio.
That’s the battle cry from certain Wall Street analysts, who suggest that Apple use its Scrooge McDuck-style cash pile to buy everything from Sony Pictures to Disney.
As sexy as that idea might sound on paper, however, in reality it would be a terrible idea. Here are three reasons why.
This week on The CultCast: Smart window blinds, smart plugs, smart lights, smart locks and now … the best televisions on the market. Apple just revealed big moves to bring HomeKit to all your favorite gadgets, and Cupertino is just getting started. In 2019, the smart HomeKit devices we’ve always wanted finally arrive. Plus: Tim Cook just let it slip — Apple’s got new services lined up for release this year, but what could they be? We think we might just know.
Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.
Tim Cook teased new services that will be coming to Apple users this year. Responding to questions about falling iPhone sales during a CNBC interview, Cook stressed the way that Apple’s services division has grown significantly in the past several years.
“The services are on a tear,” Cook said. “On services, you will see us announce new services this year. There will more things coming.”
Apple is offering promo codes to Apple Music customers, giving them money off the HomePod smart speaker in time for the holidays.
So far, users in the U.K. have reported receiving the offer for 50 British pounds ($63) off the full price of a HomePod. The offer runs through December 16, giving would-be purchasers until the end of the week to take advantage. It’s not clear how many markets Apple will offer the discount in.
